Can anyone tell me if the teachers guide has a suggested schedule or coordinates the WB and TB?

Yes, I know it's only 3rd grade math, but I want to make he understands the thought processes correctly as he learns instead of just doing the problems on auto pilot. Plus I'm not that confident in my ability to actually teach math.

I had the home instructors guide for 2A, but never used it because I found the layout cumbersome, not that I really needed it.

It's just so hard to figure out which one to get without having the copies in front of me.

I just ordered the Teacher Guide for 3A & 3B because I had the same experience with the Home Instructor Guide for 2A. It was too cumbersome to use to coordinate the Text/Workbook pages. I used it a little at first for the ideas for games/instruction, but not enough to bother purchasing it again.

Instead, I just got out the textbook, workbook, and IP workbook and wrote in the corresponding workbook page and IP pages next to each section of the text's table of contents. That's all the coordination I needed.

You might check out the samples of the Teacher Guide on Rainbow Resource. The TGuide might be more useful than the Home Instructor Guide as far as showing me the thought process for solving problems the Singapore way. Can't tell if it coordinates the Text/Wkbk, though.

I feel exactly the opposite! I ordered the 1st grade TM and hated it. To be honest, I don't remember why; I only remember that I did. Then for second I ordered the HIG and love it. I like the layout: activities/methods for each lesson progressing from concrete/hands on to more abstract to word problems. Perfect in my mind plus we LOVE the games. My daughter likes to play them and they solidify the facts for her. It only lays out the TB and WB but it's pretty simple to add in the EP, WP, and IP.

I love the HIG and recommend it to everyone! I guess it just goes to show that not everything is for everyone.

I used the teacher's manual for 1A and 1B and it does have a scheme of work chart in the front with the lesson in the manual and the corresponding textbook and workbook pages. It also tells you what to teach in the tb and wb after you do the lesson. It does not schedule the CWP and IP for you. The only problem I found was that the lessons were designed for a class setting and some took a little tweaking to make it work for one, some weren't worth the effort. Also it's quite a bit more expensive. Please don't tell me that the HIG doesn't have this, I just ordered it for next year!

I'm looking at my TM for PM-2B. Each section corresponds exactly with each unit in the PM textbook. E.g.,

Unit 1 - Addition & subtraction

Unit 2 - Multiplication & division

Unit 3 - Money

PM-2B has 9 units. Most units have a few sub-units that also correspond to the textbook. E.g., within Unit 2,

Part 1 - Multiplying & dividing by 4

Part 2 - Multiplying & dividing by 5

Part 3 - Multiplying & dividing by 10

At the beginning of each unit is list of unit objectives. E.g., the ones for Unit 2 are

Count by fours, fives, and tens.

Build multiplication tables for 4, 5 and 10.

Memorize multiplication and division facts for 4, 5, and 10.

Solve word problems involving multiplication by 4, 5, or 10.

Solve word problems involving division by 4, 5, or 10.

Next are 3 charts, one for each sub-unit (Parts 1-3 within Unit 2). Each chart is broken down into daily lessons (we sometimes do two in a day, or stretch a lesson out over a couple of days). For each daily lesson, it shows the objectives, textbook pages, workbook exercises & pages, and activity number (described in subsequent pages).

Below each chart, "optional resources" are listed, like "Extra Practice for Primary Mathematics 2: Exercise 23" and some Rainbow Rock activities, too. Since the lessons are numbered, it's easy to see that Unit 2 will take approximately 14 daily lessons to complete.

After the Unit's chart(s) come the background explanations and activity descriptions.Within each "Part":In Unit 2 Part 1, the Part 1 Objectives are listed. Then Materials needed for Part 1 are listed. Homework is also listed (usually PM workbook exercises). The next section Notes has been very helpful to me; this is where some of the underlying concepts are explained to the teacher. There are often accompanying diagrams, too.

An excerpt from the Notes in Unit 2, Part 1 (without the diagrams/illustrations):"There are two division situations, sharing and grouping.Sharing:A total number (the whole) is shared into a given number of groups (parts). Divide the total by the number of parts to find the number in each part.Grouping:A total number (the whole) is grouped into equal parts. Divide the total by the number that goes into each part to find the number of parts."

There are "Class Activities" for each sub-unit. We skip many or most of these, but some have been really great for helping my kids understand a new concept. Most are easily adapted for home school situations.

The overall layout of the TG's makes it easier for me to plan and pace ourselves. It's also easier for me to modify this kind of schedule than the other.

The SM teacher's manuals for 1A & 1B put out by the Rosenbaum Foundation are set up quite differently than the ones for 2 through 6 (by Jenny Hoerst). But I believe they've recently come out with new TG's for 1A & 1B that are set up like the rest of them.